We're Family
by fireworksinsidemyhead
Summary: He was a rebellious teenager, recently orphaned and sent to live with a family he barely met. She was a gifted musician, shaped to fit a highly refined world. With such contrasting personalities, how could they get along? AU KuroTomo. Tentative title.
1. A Fated Meeting

**Disclaimer: Tsubasa RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE belongs to CLAMP.**

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_Standing by his sickly mother's bedside, the boy could only forcefully bite back the tears that were threatening to overflow. His father had gone not too long ago, having proudly taken his last breath on the battlefield. It was a matter of moments that the loyal soldier would be reunited with his beloved wife._

_"My son..." said the dying woman in a weak voice as her trembling hand reached for him. The boy held as still as possible, as though the slightest movement might cause him to break down, a sign of weakness he was especially unwilling to reveal to his mother in her last moments. "My son..." she said again, touching his face, "my only regret is that you'll have to fend for yourself... alone..."_

_"It's all right!" said the boy more loudly than he had intended. "It's all right, Mother..." he said in a lower voice that nearly broke in his desperation to suppress his grief. "I'm... strong, right? So... don't worry about me..." He broke off, uncertain if he could carry on without breaking down._

_His mother smiled weakly. "You truly are... strong, Kurogane..."_

The stage was brightly lit. The rest of the hall was dim, but it was just bright enough to see that only the front row of seats was filled. Among the small audience was a young woman with a highly refined poise and an air that seemed almost regal. Her gaze, steady and unmoving, was fixed on the stage before her.

"Now, ladies and gentlemen," announced a deep voice that seemed to vibrate through the speaker, "let us welcome Miss Tomoyo Daidouji, playing Paganini's Caprice for Solo Violin, Number 6 in G minor, 'The Trill'!"

A young lady in a glittering violet dress stepped onto the middle of the stage. Her long black hair had been tied into a flowing ponytail that cascaded gracefully to her waist. Her eyes glowed like amethysts, clear and bright, reflecting the strong lights that shone upon the stage. In one hand, she held a beautiful honey brown violin, finely polished and shining in all its glory. She carefully lifted it to her chin and, after a pause, drew her bow across the strings. Her fingers immediately flew across the fingerboard.

The performance had begun.

When the piece neared its end and the last note hovered in the air, the small audience immediately burst into rounds of applause. It was not an easy piece to play, but that was a fantastic performance! Surely, this violinist was a prodigy! With utmost grace and modesty, the performer smiled and bowed before leaving the stage. Quietly, she returned her instrument to its case backstage and proceeded to take her seat in a corner of the hall to watch the rest of the concert.

"That was a lovely performance, Tomoyo," someone whispered from behind her.

The violinist turned with a start. Then she saw who stood behind her and broke into a smile. "Thank you, Elder Sister! Do you think I'm ready for the official concert?"

Her sister smiled warmly and nodded. "Play as you did during this rehearsal and you'll be fine. Trust me! I may not be as great a musician as you are, but I know good talent when I see it."

Tomoyo blushed slightly. She was getting used to receiving such compliments, but she always appreciated them. "Of course, Elder Sister! Anybody would be a fool not to believe in your incredible insight."

Her sister beamed. "Well now, don't you know to get into your sister's good books!" She laughed lightly and then stretched out her hand. "All right, then. Hand me your violin, case and all. I'll take them to the car for you. Then we'll have less to carry when you're done, okay?

Tomoyo readily obliged. Her sister patted her twice on the shoulder, took the violin case and disappeared into the shadows. Tomoyo remained on her seat, her hands placed neatly on her lap and her gaze fixed on the performers who went on stage one by one, but her eyes were not really seeing. Her thoughts lingered on the upcoming concert and the repetitive comments that she had caught in various conversations.

_"Certainly, that girl is a prodigy!"_

_"But of course! She is the daughter of the famed pianist Daidouji!"_

_"Well, they say the talent runs in the family..."_

_"No wonder she's so gifted then..."_

"Tomoyo!" Her sister's sharp voice snapped her out of her thoughts. The lights on the stage had dimmed and the hall was bright. The small audience that had been watching the rehearsal were dispersing already.

"I'm sorry, Elder Sister! I must have been daydreaming again," said Tomoyo apologetically. She rose from her seat, adjusting her dress. "Shall we go then?"

Her sister had a strange look in her eyes. "There's something I want to talk to you about... but never mind for now; we'll do that on the way back. Let's go."

"...all right."

In the limosine, Tomoyo waited patiently as her sister continued to stare out of the window. The chauffeur had kindly put up the divider separating the front and back seats to give them some privacy. All that was left to do was begin the conversation and there was nothing that Tomoyo could do except to wait.

"Someone's coming to live with us," said her sister suddenly, still staring out of the window.

Amethyst eyes widened in surprise. That was certainly out of the blue. "Who?" she asked innocently.

"It's highly unlikely that you'll know him. He's the son of a friend of mine from Suwa, who has recently passed away."

"...I'm sorry."

"The child is an orphan now," she explained. "His mother on her sickbed had asked me to take care of him. I couldn't refuse. All the necessary arrangements have been made. The documents, proceedures... Everything has been settled. All that's left to do is to help the boy move in with us."

"I'll certainly help him, Elder Sister," said Tomoyo softly. "What is it that you're worried about?"

Her sister looked at her. "He's slightly older than you are, Tomoyo," she said slowly. "I know his father and have met the boy occasionally. They are just like each other. The child is very... strong-willed. I'm hoping this won't be too difficult for you."

Tomoyo smiled. "I'll do my best, Elder Sister."

"Miss Kendappa, we have arrived," announced the chauffeur. The older girl nodded and turned to her sibling.

"Come," she said, smiling, "I'll introduce both of you tonight." Together, they headed towards their mansion.

Their home was a magnificent place. There was a large front porch and a beautiful garden with fountains. A mansion stood proudly in the middle of it all, seeming to glow under the soft moonlight. Waiting outside its door was a boy with spiky black hair and broad shoulders, just standing there almost motionlessly. He wore an old brown jacket and black jeans and carried a small haversack and very little luggage. He struck a contrast with the pale walls of the mansion, standing out like a dark spot against the white background.

"Kurogane!" called Kendappa as the pair of sisters drew closer.

The boy turned. He had small, sharp crimson eyes, a stout and determined-looking chin, overall firm features and a rather indifferent, yet somewhat hard expression.

"Kurogane," said Kendappa, "this is my sister, Tomoyo. Tomoyo, this is Kurogane, the son of my deceased friend. You'll be living with each other from now on; I hope you two will get along."

Tomoyo bowed politely. "Pleased to meet you, Kurogane."

"Um... yeah, pleased to meet you." Kurogane seemed unsure about how to act. He scratched his head and turned to stare again at the door. Tomoyo and Kendappa exchanged glances.

"Okay, then," said Kendappa. "Let's go inside. Kurogane, you must be tired; I'll get someone to take you to your room. Tomoyo, you should get some rest too. We'll talk again tomorrow, all right?"

Tomoyo nodded simply. As Kendappa had her back turned towards them, she glanced sideways at Kurogane. He caught her gaze and stared back, bewildered. Tomoyo giggled behind her hand. She had not expected that he could look so amusing! Kurogane could only stare, still baffled, and it made Tomoyo giggle even harder.

It was a beginning of a rather... unexpected friendship.

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_The first chapter of my first multi-chapter. This is a little experiment, so I may or may not complete it. But more importantly... is this worth continuing? Please let me know! I'll appreciate any feedback._


	2. Puppets of Society

_Thank you for your kind comments on my first chapter! Now here's the second installment of the story. __It's been such a difficult time; honestly, it has. I almost felt like I actually was Kurogane in the fic, though I was more desperate for a sense of hope whereas our character here doesn't quite care. Finding that comfort through Tomoyo through Kurogane has been... quite an interesting experience, actually. __Hopefully I won't be disappointing anyone...? Feedback is welcomed and very much appreciated._

**Tsubasa RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE belongs to CLAMP.**

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An unusual sound reached Kurogane's ears. Crimson eyes flew open and immediately he was awake. To his astonishment, he found himself staring at a very wide, very clean wall. There were no stains, no dents and absolutely no obvious flaws. Where was the wall that he had seen almost every morning for the past many years of his life?

Then memories of recent events flooded into his mind and he remembered: this was one of the chambers of Daidouji's Mansion. It was very large and spacious, unlike the compact little room he was used to. His new pajamas were very fine; he usually wore clothes that were old and worn. The bed he had been given was too soft - he had given it up and slept with his back against the door instead.

But of course; how could he possibly be suited for the life of the upper-class?

With his sharp sense of hearing trained over many years, he could still pick up the faint sound that was the first thing he heard that morning. It was not the loud screeching of birds outside the window and it definitely was not the scratching of insects in the walls; this place was far too clean for that. Kurogane decided that since he was awake, he might as well find out. Quickly, he stood up and left the room.

Sunlight was streaming through the tinted windows in the hallways, creating a beautiful rosy hue, but Kurogane did not have an eye for such beauties; he passed them all without a second thought. Although he could quite easily find his way around the Daidouji mansion, he felt strangely as though he was moving through a maze. What was it about the house that felt so strange and mysterious?

However, he soon found himself walking out of the mansion. Stepping out into the open forced his eyes to quickly adjust to the bright morning sunlight. He saw a wide front porch with pockets of smooth round pebbles and grass very neatly arranged upon clean white cement floors. He saw polished ebony frames for a fence surrounding the porch, connected to a majestic black gate that cast a long shadow like a carpet. He saw a simple low brown fence, the entrance to a homely eden-like garden where there were sounds of birds singing and water flowing.

Where there was the source of the sound that he had been hearing since he awoke that morning.

Carefully, he proceeded to enter the garden. He was nearing the source of the sound. Perhaps it was the short walk; perhaps it was the sunlight. His mind was beginning to clear. Now he could tell that the sound was produced by a violin. Then he reached a fountain, where a familiar figure clad in white stood playing the violin.

"Tomoyo...?"

He had whispered so softly that he could barely hear his own voice, but Tomoyo seemed to have somehow heard him or sensed his presence. Almost immediately, she stopped playing and turned to look at him. For a moment, she seemed mildly surprised to see him there; then she broke into a smile. "Ah, good morning, Kurogane! How was your rest?"

Kurogane blinked. How should he answer this? He knew that it was a very simple question, but he was not sure exactly what kind of answer a member of the upper-class society might be expecting. "Uh... it was fine," he replied, looking away and scratching the back of his head in an awkward manner.

Tomoyo watched him intently. Her amethyst eyes looked wise and knowledgeable. She seemed to have guessed that he was hiding something. "Are you sure?" she asked with a strange tone in her voice.

Kurogane noticed Tomoyo studying his expression and felt somewhat uncomfortable. "Yeah..."

"Really?" Tomoyo's question was probing at his conscience. Could he tell her the truth?

When Kurogane realised that Tomoyo was not about to move her gaze from his features too soon, he felt even more uneasy. What exactly did she want from him?

"Are you..." She seemed to hesitate on purpose. A strange glint had suddenly appeared in Tomoyo's eyes, but it seemed so unlike her that Kurogane wondered if he was imagining it. "You're not... afraid of the dark, are you?"

"WHAT?!" shouted Kurogane, shocked that anybody could get such an idea. How could anybody get such an idea of him anyway? He was not a child! He knew his character was stronger than most; his recent experiences had especially made sure of that. He was anything but weak and frightened, much less afraid of something like the dark!

But Tomoyo was giggling so hard; she had put her violin down for fear of mishandling it. Kurogane could only stare, bewildered. Nearly succeeding in subduing her giggling, Tomoyo asked, "Has anyone mentioned... that you look very funny when taken by surprise?"

Kurogane's eyes widened in shock, causing Tomoyo to burst into another fit of giggles.

"Oh, don't be so serious!" she said, laughing lightly. "I was just pulling your leg. We both know you're braver than that."

But Kurogane continued to look at her suspiciously. He knew he had his paranoia as well as his pride. After all, it never hurt to be too careful. Other people had been fairly easy to decipher, but this person was abnormal. He could not be certain if she was still pulling his leg.

Tomoyo noticed this reaction and smiled in a warm manner. "I really mean it, Kurogane," she said softly, "don't be so serious. If you're serious all the time, you're going to lose out on all the fun. Look there; those creases on your forehead show that you're getting old already!" She grinned like a child who had just received the candy she wanted.

"Hmph." Kurogane could hardly care about how old he looked. As far as he was concerned, he was old enough to take care of himself and not rely on anybody else. However, he was obliged to obey his mother's last wish...

"Oh, no," whispered Tomoyo suddenly. She had glanced at her violin and turned to look at Kurogane with eyes with realisation. "Oh no, I'm so sorry. I must have woken you up!"

"Hey, hey! Look, it's okay! It's okay!" said Kurogane quickly, flustered over the fact that she was seriously overrating the importance of his sleep. "It's... it's just me; I shouldn't have interrupted your practice..."

"But I should not have disturbed your sleep!" Tomoyo was really upset. "Oh no, I'm really so sorry! Everybody should be getting the sleep they deserve. You need it especially after the ordeal you've been through..."

"Hey..." Kurogane felt extremely uneasy. He had been disturbed in his sleep many times before, but no one had ever been so upset about it. "You're... you're the master of the place, aren't you? So... you can do whatever you want, whenever you like." Although he had never particularly liked the upper-class society - they always seemed to have the advantage, privileges that those of lower classes could never enjoy, and the power to wrap everybody else around their little finger - the Daidoujis had been very kind towards him thus far and he was truly appreciative of that.

"Kurogane." Tomoyo's voice was calm, but her eyes seemed strangely fierce. Kurogane was somewhat taken aback. "Kurogane," she repeated. "You must know that we're not gods. We cannot control people, although many seem to have the mistaken impression that we do." The expression in her eyes softened into something more melancholic. "Actually, if you'd care to look a little closer, you might notice that it is we who are being 'controlled' by society. You're one of us now; sooner or later, you'll have to realise that."

"Yeah, sure." Kurogane looked away, feeling uncomfortable. He was not quite convinced that the upper class society could have many problems, but he knew that, as Tomoyo had said, he would definitely find out the truth soon enough.

"All right, then," said Tomoyo, suddenly cheerful again. She returned her violin to its case and closed it. "I don't suppose you've had breakfast already, have you?"

"Uh..." Kurogane could only stare. Was it not just a moment ago that she was delivering a stern lecture? Why was she in such a good mood all of a sudden?

"I'll take that as a 'no'. Now let's find something to eat." She picked up her case and nodded at Kurogane. "Shall we go, then?" She proceeded to walk back to the mansion.

Perhaps his feet had found a mind of their own; Kurogane soon found himself walking after her. For a while, he stared blankly at the back of her head. Then realisation hit him with full force.

He had never really listened anyone before; his parents had been the only exceptions so far. Yet, just a few moments ago, he had so readily obliged this person he had barely met. He shook his head in disbelief.

"Is something wrong, Kurogane?" inquired Tomoyo innocently, pausing to turn back slightly to look at him.

For some reason, Kurogane felt his face heating up. Why was his face heating up? He quickly shoved that thought to the back of his mind. "Nothing," he answered as nonchalantly as he could manage.

"Oh. Okay." Tomoyo nodded; but before she started again on the path to the mansion, she hesitated and turned around again. She asked, "Hey... you don't happen to have any plans for this afternoon, do you?"

Kurogane stared. What could she possibly want now? "No," he replied truthfully.

Tomoyo grinned happily. "Then you won't mind if I show you around the place? It won't do if someone gets lost in his own house."

"His own house?" The words slipped out of Kurogane before he could catch them back. What did Tomoyo mean...?

"Of course." Tomoyo was smiling. "We may not bear the same surname, but you're one of us now, aren't you?" She held out her free hand in invitation. "If you'd like to be," she added softly.

They had already accepted him. Kurogane blinked, unsure of how to respond; but he really did not have to worry. Tomoyo had already taken his hand and was pulling him ahead, laughing at his awkwardness as he stumbled along.

"Hurry! After breakfast, I'll personally give you a tour of the Daidouji mansion! How does that sound?"

Quite to his astonishment, Kurogane found that he could not put down the offer.


	3. Fitting in

_Not a very good chapter, but I've been holding this back way too long. My excuse: I've been awfully busy; it's likely I'm going to be busier still. __I'll try to write the next chapter better, but I'm sorry I can't make any promises._

**Tsubasa RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE and its characters belong to CLAMP.**

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Chapter 3

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Breakfast was usually a quiet affair at the Daidouji mansion. Actually, the same could be said for all meals and most other activities as well. There had only been one master of the household present most of the time, after all, and the servants were obliged to remain silent unless spoken to.

However, a new member had recently entered the household and that was enough to disrupt their usual lifestyle.

Sitting across the newcomer at other end of the long table, Tomoyo could not help smiling at the way he gnawed on his food and gulped down his glass of milk. Kurogane had not touched any of his utensils; he had used his hands to hold and tear apart bits of his food instead.

This scene earned some startled and somewhat bemused looks from the maids waiting in their various positions in the room. They were whispering among themselves, careful not to raise their voices above the level of noise that their new young master was making. No one had ever seen such conduct from a member of their noble society. It was somewhat disturbing.

"What?" said Kurogane suddenly, with a mouthful of food. Tiny crumbs were flying out of his mouth as he spoke. Some of the maids gasped. It only took a sharp glare to have them silenced and hanging their heads in shame.

Tomoyo smiled sweetly, appearing completely undisturbed. "You don't seem to have any good table manners, Kurogane," she said. "It's going to take some effort to clean up this time. Right, Souma?" She grinned at the maid-in-waiting beside her.

"I am afraid so, Miss Tomoyo," answered the young woman, bowing slightly. She had short dark hair, very neatly and plainly arranged, without a single strand out of place. Her small dark eyes looked deep, observant and intelligent; she kept them to herself as much as possible. She wore a very plain grey dress and a clean white apron, the typical attire of a maid in the household.

"Oh, I have yet to introduce you," said Tomoyo, remembering suddenly. "Souma, this is Kurogane. I suppose my sister has already told you about our new family member? Kurogane," she said, turning to him, "this is Souma, a highly capable housekeeper. She looks very young, doesn't she?" She grinned at the blushing housekeeper. "But she has been with the family for many years already."

"Miss Tomoyo! You... flatter me," said Souma, stuttering slightly in her embarrassment and bowing more deeply to hide the darkening shade of red that was on her face.

Tomoyo simply grinned. "Oh, but you deserve it, Souma!" She smiled at Kurogane, who was staring blankly at them across the table. "You will be of a lot of help to Kurogane. I think both of you will get along quite well. Don't you think so?"

Both pairs of eyes stared for a moment; then Souma's widened with realisation. She began uncertainly, "Miss Tomoyo, you don't mean...?"

"Ah! As usual, Souma knows exactly what I'm talking about." Tomoyo grinned. Souma's face immediately turned downcast.

Kurogane continued to stare blankly. "What exactly are you talking about?"

Souma remained in a somewhat gloomy state as Tomoyo continued to grin in a manner that made Kurogane feel strangely uncomfortable. "You see, Souma has been with the family for so long that she is accustomed to our manners and habits which are suited for our society. She may as well pass as a noble lady herself." Tomoyo smiled at her, but she was unable to look up. "Well, she knows enough about us, so she can teach you how to behave appropriately."

"What!?" yelled Kurogane, slamming his palms on the table and standing up abruptly. "I'm going to have some stupid lessons on how to behave? This is just..."

"Perfectly necessary," interrupted Tomoyo before Kurogane could spit out any inappropriate word he was probably thinking of. "Kurogane, please understand. You're one of us now. There are expectations that we as upper class citizens are supposed to meet."

"I won't conform!" declared Kurogane. "I am who I am! I'm not going to change because I've been forced into this goddamn awful society..."

"Kurogane..." began Tomoyo sternly, but he would not listen.

"You can do whatever you want!" he continued angrily, "I don't care! I won't care! But if you're going to try to change me, you better just fucking give up!" He stood up, ignoring the sharp sound his chair made against the floor as it was pushed out of his way.

"Kurogane!" called Tomoyo, but she was too late; he had turned sharply and walked away.

Souma looked helplessly from Kurogane to Tomoyo. "Miss, what should we do?"

"Let him be," answered Tomoyo. All traces of her previous anger had vanished. Now she looked sad and almost regretful. "Let him calm down," she said. "He will regain his senses... eventually."

"Of course, miss."

Tomoyo nodded back. "Now I shall retreat to my private room. You know where it is. Show Kurogane in when he wants to see me."

Souma looked at her, puzzled. "How do you know that he will look for you, miss?"

Tomoyo smiled mysteriously. "It's just a feeling. He will ask to speak to me soon. You know what to do then, Souma."

"Yes, miss."

Then, as though nothing had happened, Tomoyo resumed having breakfast. However, the clinking of her utensils did little to lighten the still tense atmosphere. After a while, she stopped and looked across the table where Kurogane had been sitting a few moments before. She heaved a little sigh.

"You will learn to adapt, Kurogane, just as I did a long time ago."


	4. Tale of an Orphan

_Okay, I'm crazy. I have no idea what Souma's history (in canon) is and I just made it up for her! But this is AU, so that shouldn't be too much of a problem...? I'm just hoping it doesn't seem OOC..._

**Disclaimer: Tsubasa RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE and its characters belong to CLAMP.**

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**We're Family**  
_Chapter 4_  
Tale of an Orphan

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Helplessly, Souma watched Tomoyo pick up her violin case and leave the room. Souma wished that there was something she could do to help, but as a simple housekeeper, she should respect her mistress's wishes and obey them. Tomoyo had wished to be alone for a little while. All Souma could do was to ensure that her wishes were not defied.

Souma looked at the maids still gathered in the room. They were still confused by the earlier interaction between their mistress and the newcomer and Tomoyo's unexpected response. They glanced at the empty table and the door through which Tomoyo had left and turned to Souma for directions.

After a moment's deliberation, Souma instructed, "Clear the table. Then you may make your own breakfast." She was about to leave when she remembered Tomoyo's words. Then she added, "If Master Kurogane approaches you, direct him to me."

Respectfully, the maids bowed. Then they dispersed, whispering among themselves like high school girls in their little cliques. Souma could imagine what they must be thinking. Even in Souma's eyes, Miss Tomoyo had always been a very strange person. For certain, she was an extremely talented young lady. She was also a perfect example of the high class - softspoken, elegant, demure... everything that the daughter of a noble was expected to be.

Indeed, Tomoyo Daidouji seemed perfect in every sense of the word; but Souma knew one thing that most people did not realise: Tomoyo was lonely. Her parents were hardly at home. Kendappa tried to make time for her little sister, but as a highly successful businesswoman, she had to keep on top of her game and her career made it nearly impossible to find time for anything else. For a very long time, the violin had been Tomoyo's only companion.

Even now, Tomoyo still loved the violin, but something was different. This morning, Tomoyo had really smiled. It was not just the simple smile she usually wore. There was no hint of melancholy or loneliness. It was a real smile, filled with just pure happiness. Souma had not seen that smile for such a long time that she had almost forgotten her mistress could smile like that.

How did Kurogane manage it? Or rather, why Kurogane? Why not anybody else?

Whatever it was, Souma decided that it was not important. The most important thing at the moment was to make sure that Kurogane regained his senses. Anything that he could do to her would be harmless. He was quite simply being rebellious and Souma knew better than to admit defeat. Had she not passed this stage once before, after all? She smiled at the memory.

Realisation hit at last. Of course! Tomoyo must have realised that only Souma could accomplish this task. If anybody could speak to Kurogane now, it was her. Filled with a sudden confidence, she set out to find him.

Moments later, she found Kurogane in the garden, sitting cross-legged on the floor next to an empty bench. His eyes were firmly shut and his arms folded stubbornly across his chest. The sides of his mouth appeared to twitch occasionally, as though he was recalling a rather unpleasant thought. Souma stared, bewildered; then a fit of giggles burst from her before she could properly catch herself.

Kurogane's eyes shot open at that very instant. The dangerous look he gave her quickly subdued her, but it was not enough to prevent her from finding him amusing. Cautiously suppressing her laughter, she approached him. "Good morning, Master Kurogane."

The boy looked at her from the corner of his eye. "What are you being so polite for?" he asked in an almost accusing tone.

He could not yet trust people so easily: Souma realised. "You are a member of the Daidouji family now. I am just a servant of the household. Naturally, your position is above mine. Therefore I should respect..."

"That's it," interrupted Kurogane. "My position is above yours; that's why you should respect me? That stupid reason is good enough for you?"

Souma looked at him carefully. Maybe he was not as thick-headed as he appeared to be. "I respect the Daidouji family," she answered. "From the beginning, I had respected Miss Kendappa because it was she who had offered this job when I needed it most. After spending some time with Miss Tomoyo, I learnt to respect her as well; Miss Tomoyo is highly intelligent and observant and she has a good character. I don't know much about Mr and Mrs Daidouji because I haven't really met them in person, but I trust Miss Kendappa and Miss Tomoyo."

Souma paused. Kurogane had turned away, eyes firmly shut. He was clearly uninterested. She sighed.

"I choose to respect you because I respect Miss Kendappa's decision to bring you into the family. She and Miss Tomoyo have faith in you, so I shall put my faith in you as well." Kurogane was subconsciouly peering out of a corner of his eye now; Souma smiled slightly. "They want you to give you a second chance, just as they had done for me."

Kurogane was definitely paying her some attention now. He was staring at her in surprise and disbelief. "You?"

"I was an orphan for as long as I could remember," said Souma, sitting on the bench beside him. "I grew up in an orphanage where I was constantly bullied. Soon I was adopted, but due to a series of problems, I was shifted from family to family. Finally, Miss Kendappa agreed to take me in, but as a servant. She said she wanted me to try being independent, so if I could not stay in this family, at least I knew how to depend on myself.

"But she and Miss Tomoyo treated me kindly. They were like more sisters than masters to me. I never felt more like a part of a family. Even now, I still do." Souma smiled at Kurogane. "They are some of the nicest people you are ever going to meet, Kurogane. You have my word for it."

"Why are you telling me this?" asked Kurogane, serious. He was not expecting Souma to tell her life story to a complete stranger.

"Because I need you to believe me," replied Souma. "I can understand a little of what you are going through. I know Miss Tomoyo understands more than what you might think she does. I can assure you: she is a very intelligent young lady."

Kurogane was shifting uncomfortably. He still was not ready to conform to anything, but he was starting to feel really guilty about the scene he had caused earlier.

Souma knew this. "Go and apologise to her," she urged. "She will understand."

"I know she will," said Kurogane. This response startled Souma; he knew? He stood up. "Where is Tomoyo?" he asked.

"Probably in her studio, practising," answered Souma, standing up and dusting her dress. "Come; I'll show you the way." She began heading towards the mansion.

"Hey." Souma looked curiously. Kurogane was pointedly looking away. "Thanks... for coming over."

For a moment, Souma stared, startled. Then she smiled.

"You're very welcome, Master Kurogane."


	5. Picking Up a New Tune

_Uh oh. I haven't updated in such a long time. I'm so sorry! But I had tons of school commitments (I really think they're planning to eat me alive) so please understand that those are my top priorities._

**Tsubasa RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE and its characters belong to CLAMP.**

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**We're Family**  
_Chapter 5_  
Picking Up a New Tune

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When Tomoyo heard the knock on the door, she smiled. Souma had realised what she hoped she would do. Tomoyo knew that she could always depend on her capable housekeeper to understand her intentions when they were not spoken outright.

She walked across the room and peered through a tiny hole in the door. Kurogane seemed a little anxious as well as impatient. His gaze darted at his surroundings, clearly showing his agitation. Souma remained very calm, very cool-headed, very prim and proper. Well, that was Souma as usual. However, she was also watching Kurogane from a corner of her eye. The hint of a smile on her face suggested suppressed amusement.

Tomoyo pulled the door open. The sound of the lock had quickly gained their attention. Kurogane looked at Tomoyo for a moment before glancing away as quickly as he had turned to look at her. Souma greeted her mistress with the usual polite bow. "Master Kurogane wanted to see you, miss."

"Thank you very much, Souma." Tomoyo smiled kindly in return. "Please tell the servants to have their breakfast. Then you may proceed with your duties. I shall call for you when I need you again."

"Yes, miss."

Souma bowed again before turning to walk away. Kurogane watched her retreating figure. In turn, Tomoyo observed Kurogane quietly. The crimson-eyed young man appeared to be lost in his own thoughts - what an unusual sight! There was no longer any sign of anger or resentment; he seemed simply observant, a trait that Tomoyo recognised to be her own.

When Souma finally disappeared behind the bend, Tomoyo was the first to speak. "You wanted to see me, Kurogane?"

Kurogane turned and looked at her steadily. He wore a rather uncomfortable expression, which Tomoyo recognised as she had done in many other faces she had come across. "Just now," he began with difficulty, "I didn't mean... to do what I did. I'm sorry." He looked up, as though expecting some unusual reaction.

But Tomoyo simply smiled. She had deduced from his obvious discomfort that Kurogane was a very proud young man. He did not apologise on a frequent basis; his rare apologies, then, would be sincere. "Thank you for telling me personally, Kurogane; I truly appreciate it," she said. "I am sorry as well. I have spoken out of turn. I did not intend to force you to conform, Kurogane. However, I do hope that you will attempt to make some changes to adapt into this new environment."

"I get it," mumbled Kurogane. He was clearly unwilling, but he understood why he should change. In any community, one had to fit in one way or another. How then were the members of a community connected?

Tomoyo watched his increasingly downcast expression. "Please do not misunderstand, Kurogane. All I ask of you is to adapt - but not to conform - to this society. There is a large difference, a very large difference between adapting and conformity, as I'm sure you will soon find during your time here."

Kurogane looked up. He did not seem to be expecting this. Tomoyo smiled.

"I have invited a few friends over this afternoon," she added cheerfully. "Oh, no, I don't socialise much. I simply met them through connections of my mother and sister. I'll introduce them to you. They are very amiable people, though some may not seem so at first. I'm sure you will learn more from them than you ever can from me alone."

Kurogane grunted in response. Tomoyo's smile did not fade.

"Well then, until they arrive, would you like to hear me play?" Tomoyo looked invitingly at her violin lying nearby. Kurogane remained silent, a response Tomoyo recognised to mean consent. Smiling, she picked up her violin, inhaled deeply and confidently drew her bow across the strings.

The first note rang like a bell. For a moment, Kurogane was stunned - perhaps he had never heard a violin so clearly before, or perhaps he had just never really paid much attention, because it had never occured to him that such a clear, beautiful sound could be produced. With a little more interest, he listened to the rest of the piece.

Somehow, music had never felt so calm and peaceful.

Tomoyo played again and again, starting a new piece soon after ending the previous one. It was obvious that she enjoyed playing the violin - she was absorbed in her music; there was always a smile on her face and her fingers danced across the fingerboard as though they could continue doing so for ever. It was amazing how much music was stored in her memory.

However, Kurogane gradually grew immune to the music. It would still take time for someone like him, who had never really liked classical music, to truly appreciate it. Instead, he found himself watching the violinist. In a strange way, she reminded him of his mother. He began to match the pieces.

Both women had long black hair, tied up in an casual yet elegant ponytail at the back. Their eyes were kind and radiated warmth, unless angered; then they projected a cold and hard expression that would cause a lesser man to quaver. They were gentle, soft-spoken, very intelligent and very observant. They seemed to be able to read minds - this thought sent a chill down Kurogane's spine - and were adept at understanding most people.

How very unlike him and his father! Kurogane snorted as he thought to himself.

Finally, the music stopped. Kurogane looked up at the silence. Tomoyo was watching him with a strange smile on her face. Kurogane grew uneasy. He recognised it to be the smile Tomoyo would wear whenever she was thinking of something that he was unlikely to be joyous about. "What?" he snapped.

Tomoyo grinned. "Nothing in particular," she said lightly, bending over to place her violin in its case, "but... well, my friends will be arriving soon, and I'm quite certain you won't want to be caught still in pajamas."

Kurogane glanced downwards. Crap. He probably looked embarrassing already, but he was not going to let himself be embarrassed in front of a bunch of other nobles as well if he could help it. Then he remembered: he did not have much of a wardrobe when he arrived, much less anything that was suitable for an upper-class citizen.

Tomoyo must have read his mind. She laughed as she picked up her violin case. "Don't worry, Kurogane. My sister had everything prepared for you before you joined us. She has a brilliant mind; she has everything all planned out. Hey, why don't I pick something out for you? All you'll need to do then is to put them on. It shouldn't be too difficult for you, I think."

Kurogane eyed her suspiciously. What did she mean when she said that it would not be "too difficult"?

Tomoyo's mysterious smile looked strangely plastered on her face as she headed towards the door. "I think we know well enough that there is a lot about the world that we still don't know about," she said, "but trust me: you'll look fine, Kurogane."

Perhaps that would be easy enough for any other person to accomplish, but for Kurogane - who had yet to get used to "that smile" of Tomoyo's, as he learnt to call it - it would certainly an uphill task.

"Come now," urged Tomoyo gently, beckoning him with a nod as she turned the door knob and stepped out of the room. Kurogane was still quite unwilling to move, but he grudgingly headed towards her. Tomoyo found herself grinning mischieviously. "You know, you don't have to be afraid of my friends. They won't bite."

"Who said I was scared, huh!?" he almost yelled. Tomoyo continued grinning.

"Nobody said anything about you, Kurogane, but to a certain extent, you can decide how you want people to see you."


	6. Friend or Foe

_How long has it been since I last updated this multi-chapter? Nearly 2 months? Hee, I'm sorry, I got caught up in NaNoWriMo and a bunch of other stuff, so... yeah, you get the point._

**Tsubasa RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE, Cardcaptor Sakura and their characters belong to CLAMP.**

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**We're Family**

Chapter 6  
_Friend or Foe_

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The former peasant boy stared down at his fine new suit. His nose wrinkled in disgust for a split second before his eye caught a warning glance, then he nervously avoided the stern gaze. With rough fingers he picked at his stiff black coat, his lips twitching as he itched to complain. He looked ridiculous! He should never have listened to that high-class girl.

"Aww, Kurogane! You look so handsome! I'm sure any girl who sees you now are going to swoon at your feet," gushed his companion, her eyes glittering with pride. Kurogane glared at her, but she was too caught up in her bliss to care. She circled her model, sighing with happiness. "I never imagined my father's old clothes would be of much use. They fit you perfectly! Oh, where is my camera? I just have to keep a photograph for memory's sake!"

"Tomoyo!" Kurogane was flushing with embarrassment as she tore her gaze off him to search for her prized possession. "Are you sure about this?" He stared again at his formal attire. He was wearing a black coat, a formal white shirt and black nylon pants. It would have been very simple, really, but Tomoyo had also adorned him with a bright red bowtie and a heavy silver watch with a cartoon character on its face. He felt like a kid having been dolled up by his mother. Enviously, he eyed Tomoyo's outfit, a simple yet stylish red dress with frilly sleeves and an asymmeterical skirt, which fit her slender figure beautifully.

"Aha! There it is!" cried Tomoyo as she pulled her camera out of a drawer. It looked like a very expensive professional instrument with a frighteningly large glass eye. Tomoyo slipped the band around her hand to keep the camera in place and immediately began her intensive photo-taking session.

Kurogane, of course, felt extremely uncomfortable, but he could only turn his face away and tug at his tight collar, refusing to admit that Tomoyo was taking control of him. He was too proud for that. All he could do now was take everything at his own time, stay calm and not produce any sudden, embarrassing outbursts. At least, he could ensure that it was Tomoyo being embarrassing and not he embarrassing himself.

At that moment, the doorbell rang. The flashes from Tomoyo's camera vanished. She hastily put down her camera and hurried towards the main door, leaving Kurogane by himself in the living space. He watched as she gracefully pulled the door open to admit her guests.

"Tomoyo!" cried a bright, energetic girl with short honey brown hair and emerald eyes as she burst through the doorway, flinging her arms around her friend. She wore a pale pink frock and a small bundle of cherry blossoms in her hair. She had also put on a pretty summer hat with a yellow ribbon, which fell backward as the girl flung herself into Tomoyo's arms.

"My beautiful Sakura! I'm so happy to see you," said Tomoyo, smiling as she returned her friend's embrace. Behind Sakura, a boy with darker brown hair and amber eyes picked up the summer hat and smiled and nodded at Tomoyo in greeting. He was wearing a formal white shirt, a dull green coat he left unbuttoned, khaki pants and dark brown boots.

The last to enter was a rather mysterious-looking boy with dark blue hair and dark blue eyes, half-hidden behind thick frameless glasses. His attire was similar to Kurogane's, except the colour of his coat and pants was the darkest shade of blue. He inclined his head and smiled at Tomoyo, who bowed her head slightly in return.

When the girls finally broke their embrace, the hostess clasped her hands. She tiptoed slightly, expecting to see another person present, but nobody else was there. She turned to her friends. "Did Fai not come with you?" she asked.

The brown-haired boy shook his head. "Chii is sick and he wants to take care of her," he explained.

"But he might come over later, though," said the blue-haired boy, smiling mysteriously. "Hideki would probably rush over there soon enough, so Fai would be relieved of his brother duties."

Tomoyo smiled knowingly. "Of course. It's all right. We can wait." She pulled Sakura gently by the wrist and lead the group towards Kurogane, who blinked. "Let me introduce you: this is our audience for today - my friend, Kurogane Suwa; his mother is an acquaintance of my sister's. Kurogane, this is my best friend, Sakura Kinomoto," - she nodded at the emerald-eyed girl, who beamed cheerfully - "her boyfriend, Syaoran Li," - the brown-haired boy blushed when he was mentioned - "and his cousin, Eriol Hiragizawa," - the bespectacled boy smiled in a mysterious manner that eerily reminded Kurogane of Tomoyo's.

"Kurogane, correct?" asked Sakura, eagerly jumping forward. It was easy to tell that she was a social butterfly and that she enjoyed making new friends. "You can just call me Sakura, like everybody does. I'm seventeen years old this year and I play the violin, like Tomoyo. We're best friends!" she said gleefully, exchanging a fond look with Tomoyo.

"My name is Syaoran. I'm seventeen and I play the violin as well. Pleased to meet you," said the brown-haired boy, bowing slightly. Kurogane noted that he spoke with a slight accent.

"I'm called Eriol. I'm as old as the universe, but I only picked up the cello seventeen years ago," said the bespectacled boy, smiling as confusion spread across Kurogane's face. Eriol was a weird kid, he realised. When Kurogane noticed Eriol and Tomoyo exchanging mysterious smiles, he realised they were just about as strange as each other.

"So, Kurogane! How old are you? What instrument do you play?" asked Sakura eagerly.

"I'm nineteen," he replied, "and..."

"He doesn't play anything," finished Tomoyo. Syaoran and Sakura stared in shock, as though someone who doesn't play music was unheard of. Only Eriol calmly pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. Light reflected off his glasses as he smiled, making his expression quite unreadable.

"Syaoran, Sakura, surely you can't expect every person in the world to be able to play an instrument," reasoned Eriol.

"I know that, but..." began Sakura, still staring at Kurogane, "...Tomoyo was never really comfortable around anyone who cannot play an instrument before."

It was Kurogane's turn to stare. "You only have musician friends?" he questioned, his tiny crimson eyes as wide as they could go. It seemed unbelievable that a girl like Tomoyo - who was brilliant, smart and gifted - had difficulty being sociable.

Tomoyo lowered her head and turned her face away, decidedly ashamed. "Before you, I met all my friends through our ensembles," she admitted timidly.

Kurogane stared, stunned. That was a side of Tomoyo that he had not seen before. When he recollected himself and the full impact of her statement hit him, he pressed a thumb and two finger against his temple. "You're incredible," he said, heaving a sigh.

Eriol smiled. "Tomoyo is a very quiet person. I believe I was the first friend she had - we frequently sat next to each other in the orchestra. Then Sakura joined us and befriended Tomoyo immediately, as well as most of the ensemble. Since then, Tomoyo has had a little more company." He looked kindly at Tomoyo who blushed lightly, slightly embarrassed to have someone else explain things for her.

"That's why it's amazing that you and Tomoyo are fast friends!" explained Sakura, nodding passionately. Her cheeks were flushed and she unconsciously spoke like a bullet train, an obvious sign that she was very excited about this.

Kurogane stared at her, wide-eyed. "Are you crazy?" he asked in shock and disbelief. "We're enemies!" he declared, remembering how Tomoyo enjoyed taunting him to no end. He glared at Eriol and Syaoran as they exchanged looks that seemed to be suppressing a smile. The girls giggled.

Eriol recollected himself first. He clapped his hands twice to gain everybody's attention. Everyone immediately fell silent and turned to look at him. "Shall we begin practising, then?" he asked politely. "It is the reason we have gathered here, after all."

Tomoyo clasped her hands enthusiastically. "Eriol is right," she said. "We should begin soon. I trust you all know where the studio is... By the way, Kurogane? You are very welcome to join us," she added, turning to face him and smiling sweetly.

Kurogane felt a shiver creep up his spine. It was the eerie smile he disliked so much, yet somehow always managed to force him to do anything she bid him to do. "Okay, I'll go," he responded, scratching the back of his head nervously and earning a wide grin from Tomoyo.

"I appreciate it, Kurogane. Shall we go, then?" asked Tomoyo, turning to her other friends. Sakura nodded vigorously, Syaoran bowed his head slightly and Eriol inclined his head, smiling. Tomoyo smiled back. She put her hand on Kurogane's shoulder and gently led him towards the room in which he had heard her playing the violin.

Behind her, Syaoran and Sakura conversed under their breath. "Don't you think this is a little suspicious?" Syaoran whispered, holding a hand across his mouth so as only to project his voice to Sakura who was standing right next to him.

Confused, Sakura blinked. "There's nothing suspicious about anything, Syaoran! I'm just happy Tomoyo finally managed to find a friend on her own. I was worried she was feeling lonely without her sister most of the time at home, but now that Kurogane is here..."

"But Kurogane doesn't seem like one of us," Syaoran pointed out. "I have never seen anyone like him around the place before. He doesn't actually seem used to us and he acts strangely. Something has to be going on here."

Sakura glanced at Kurogane. He seemed perfectly normal to her. "I don't know," she said. "Let's just wait and see for a while. If nothing obviously strange happens, then you should just leave him alone, okay?"

Keeping his gaze pinned on Kurogane's back, Syaoran nodded slowly. "If you say so, Sakura," he responded. He was not going to give up just yet.

Out of a corner of his eye, Kurogane noticed Syaoran looking at him strangely. That boy seemed rather suspicious. Should he tell Tomoyo about it? Mentally, he shook his head. If Syaoran was Tomoyo's friend, then he should be trustworthy. Yet, somehow, Kurogane could not shake off the uneasy feeling that they were not quite going to get along.

Unnoticed by everyone who walked ahead of him, Eriol smiled.


	7. Skeletons in the Cupboard

_**OMG an update!!**_

_**Okay, I don't know if anyone is still following this story, but if you are, THANK YOU. I got sidetracked with schoolwork this year and fell prey to Sloth/procrastination soon after, so it's been hard to pick myself up.**_

_**Anyway, here is the next chapter. Sorry about any gaping loopholes. I'm desperately trying NOT to rewrite the entire story now because it may never finish if I do. Please be nice to this amateur novelist.**_

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Chapter 7

_Skeletons in the cupboard_

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**Disclaimer: Tsubasa RESERVoir CHRoNiCLES, Cardcaptor Sakura and their characters do NOT belong to me.**

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Fai D. Flourite turned out to be a tall, lanky foreigner with blond hair, blue eyes and a goofy smile that never seemed to leave his face. For some reason, the girls found him extremely attractive. From the moment he entered the hall, the servant girls had been whispering excitedly among themselves, gesturing at the blonde and looking as though they were about to faint when he smiled at each one of them in turn.

But in Kurogane's point of view, he was just another rich, cocky spoilt brat who enjoyed the attention his looks gave him. For someone who looked so good, he sure had a great sense of fashion. When he took off his thick, expensive-looking fur-trimmed coat, everyone could see that he wore a literally shiny shirt and fancy worn out jeans. It was much too flashy for Kurogane's taste.

"Fai!" exclaimed Tomoyo, gracefully hurrying forward to embrace him. "I'm glad you could make it after all. We were getting worried."

Fai flashed a cheeky grin. "Of course I couldn't keep my dear 'priestess' waiting too long. I came here as quickly as I could." Then he noticed Kurogane standing behind her out of a corner of his eye and cocked an eyebrow. "I see you have invited guests, Tomoyo."

Tomoyo nodded cheerfully. She gently pulled Kurogane's arm to nudge him forward so that the two boys were facing each other. "Fai, this is Kurogane, an acquaintance of my sister's. Kurogane, this is Fai. He is a flautist who has joined our ensemble quite recently."

"Nice to meet you!" said Fai promptly, sticking out a hand to shake Kurogane's. His wide smile never faded, irking Kurogane to no end. "I'm sorry. What's your name again? You see, I'm terrible at remembering names…" He smiled apologetically, his other hand scratching his slightly ruffled hair uncertainly.

Something twitched at the back of Kurogane's mind. He had not liked the blonde's first impression at all and that impression certainly was not going to get much better very soon. He forced himself to smile back – but only succeeded with what looked more like a grimace – and shake this person's hand.

"I'm Kurogane," he responded curtly. "It's nice to meet to you too."

Tomoyo could sense the rising tension from Kurogane and calmly explained, "Fai doesn't belong to these parts. He only moved here recently with his sister and his guardian, so he still isn't used to a lot of things. However, he is a very accomplished musician, hence getting accepted into our little ensemble with ease."

Fai giggled and waved his hand. "Aww, Tomoyo, you're flattering me! I can't even remember names with more than three syllables. Hey," – something lit up in his eyes, as though he had just been struck by a magnificent brainwave; he turned to Kurogane – "what if I called you Kuro? That sounds so cute!"

Whatever that twitched at the back of Kurogane's mind was almost reaching its explosive point. Did he just say, "cute"?

Tomoyo laughed as though she could not find it any more amusing. "That is very cute, Fai, though I'm afraid Kurogane can't appreciate it. Come on; we should start practising."

Fai slapped his forehead. "Of course, of course! I'm sorry for delaying everyone. Let's go immediately."

As Tomoyo turned to lead the way, Fai glanced sideways at Kurogane, winking. Kurogane fumed, his knuckles twitching as his fist clenched more tightly. The worst of his anger had sizzled away like a flame stifled by a wet cloth, but he would still very much appreciate it if the blonde would ignore him as much as possible from now on.

But the tension did not completely disappear. It remained long after their encounter in the hall and throughout the practice. While Fai slowly assembled his flute, he would grin at Kurogane and ask, "Do you want to try?" Then he would later add, when Kurogane did his best to politely refuse, "Haha, of course. It's unhygienic. It's like an indirect kiss too, though; don't you think?" and grin wildly as Kurogane's face burned with either embarrassment or anger or both.

That was not all. Whenever Fai found the chance, he would tease the poor serious boy. The foreigner could never quite remember the poor boy's name, so he always came up with silly variations of "Kuro", the only bit of the name that he could remember. For the first time, Kurogane was called, "Kuro-tan", "Kuro-pon", "Kuro-ren"… The list could go on forever. However, what he hated most was "Kuro-hun". He hated it to no end.

Tomoyo thoroughly enjoyed the exchange. She would watch sometimes. Kurogane was acutely aware that she did. However, she would never intervene. She would giggle in the corner and smiled gaily at Kurogane whenever he glared in her direction. It infuriated him.

Tomoyo's friend, Sakura, was kinder, but – Kurogane added in his mind – not helpful at all. She might think Fai might be teasing Kurogane too hard sometimes, but she did not have enough conviction to tell him to back off completely. It was an interesting sight, however, when she tried. The two boys were much taller than she was and overshadowed her. She looked somewhat like a helpless mouse between them. Eventually, she gave up on them completely.

However, Kurogane was pleased to discover that the Chinese boy called Syaoran shared some of his impression of the foreigner. "He is a little weird sometimes," admitted Syaoran, "but he is actually a nice person once you get to know him."

They were sitting against the wall at a safe distance from the middle of the studio where the instruments lay. It was break time and the members of the ensemble had scattered into smaller groups to chat. Fai chatted with Sakura while Tomoyo chatted with Eriol.

"I still think he's an idiot," said Kurogane flatly.

Syaoran looked at him strangely. Was he sympathising with him? Kurogane wondered. Then Syaoran smiled a little.

"We are all idiots sometimes," he said softly, "but it's okay. We're friends. We understand one another; or, at the very least, we try to."

Kurogane blinked. He felt as though there was another meaning beneath those words that he could not grasp at. "Well, he's an idiot all the time," he said stubbornly.

Syaoran smiled more easily now. "That's because he has taken a liking to you, Kurogane."

"What?!" Kurogane stared in disbelief.

Before Syaoran could respond, Eriol announced the end of the break and that everyone should be returning to practise immediately. Syaoran nodded politely at Kurogane and left him to rejoin the ensemble, leaving Kurogane to his very confused thoughts.

"He is right, you know," said Tomoyo suddenly, squatting at his side.

"What are you doing here?" asked Kurogane more sharply than he had intended, subconsciously masking his shock at her sudden appearance. "Aren't you supposed to be practising with the others?"

Tomoyo smiled almost slyly. "My part isn't needed right now. Eriol is playing conductor and he wants to concentrate on the flute and violin duet, which involves just Fai and Sakura. Syaoran is simply staying beside his girlfriend to support her." She flashed the couple a grin. They blushed simultaneously.

Kurogane looked from Tomoyo to Syaoran and Sakura and then back at Tomoyo. "So now what are you going to do?" he asked warily.

Tomoyo grinned. She tugged his arm and forced him up upon his feet. "I want to show you something," she said mysteriously. Without another word, she led him out of the studio.

They walked through a long narrow corridor, passing by countless doors and windows that looked exactly the same. When they finally neared the end, Tomoyo suddenly turned around and beamed brightly at Kurogane.

"What?" Kurogane took a step away from the unpredictable creature known as Tomoyo. That familiar smile worried him.

"Oh, relax, Kurogane!" she said cheerily. "I just want you to see something. You should know that I'll never lie to you. So, what could possibly go wrong here?"

Kurogane could think of a dozen things that could go wrong. After all, Tomoyo had a way of saying one thing and meaning another. However, he decided that he would be better off not mentioning it. He simply shrugged while mentally bracing himself for impact.

Successfully suppressing an urge to explode with excitement, Tomoyo pushed a door open and nudged Kurogane inside. Kurogane's gaze darted about the room as he entered, closely followed by Tomoyo who quietly shut the door behind her.

There was nothing particularly fascinating about the room. It was actually small compared to the other rooms Kurogane had seen in the mansion, though it was this room size that he was more used to. What surprised him, however, was the lack of decoration. The walls and ceiling were whitewashed and bare. The floor was made of unpolished wood and not covered with an elaborate, expensive carpet. There was nothing in the room except its visitors and a small air vent in an upper corner.

"Err… what did you want me to see?" asked Kurogane uncertainly.

"What you are about to see is highly classified and must not be repeated to anyone else. It's a secret that must not leave these four walls," warned Tomoyo, suddenly serious. Kurogane became sombre.

She ran her fingers along the lower surface of the walls and suddenly stopped. She tapped the wall twice with her fingertips, appearing to listen intently. Then she reached downward and pulled something in the joint between the wall and the floor. That part of the floor fell open.

Kurogane's jaw dropped.

"It's a trapdoor," explained Tomoyo. "No one knew about this except my sister and me, but now you do. If there is an emergency or any serious trouble, you must go through here as quickly as you can."

"Hold on a second," said Kurogane, trying to put his thoughts into a place. "Why are you telling me this?"

Tomoyo smiled sadly. "Being a part of this household means you are exposed to the dangers that this household faces. We have a secret, Kurogane. I'm sure you have yours, so you'll understand when I say I can't tell you what it is. In any case, if there is no other way, use this to escape."

"Do the servants know?" asked Kurogane.

Tomoyo shook her head. "No. They won't be affected. However, you are not a servant and, besides my sister, you are the closest person to me who lives here."

"What kind of danger is this? Why does it have to be so picky about people?" asked Kurogane irritably.

Tomoyo could not help but laugh at his tone. "It goes after the masters of the home. While you aren't exactly a master yet, you are certainly not a servant. Now, we should better hurry back soon or the others will question where we have gone."

So they left the tiny room and moved through the long corridor once again. There was a blur of identical doors and windows and then Kurogane found himself back at the studio where Tomoyo's friends were waiting for her.

"Oh, hello, where have you been?" asked Fai, stretching lazily when he saw them.

"We went for a little walk," replied Tomoyo with a smile. "Isn't that right, Kurogane?" She turned to him cheerfully.

He nodded sullenly. "Yes. Yes, we did."

Without warning, Fai slapped Kurogane hard on the back, jolting him awake. Kurogane nearly choked in surprise.

"What did you do that for?" demanded Kurogane, glaring furiously at the blonde, who looked as though he was trying to laugh his head off.

"I don't know, but you look so funny, Kuro-pon. You should have seen the look on your face." Fai was on all fours on the floor now, banging his fist dramatically as he continued to laugh.

Only Sakura looked extremely shocked at the spectacle. Syaoran just sighed. Eriol pushed his glasses further up his nose and pressed his lips into a smile. Tomoyo was beaming as usual. Kurogane was too furious to say a word.

"Well, I think that's it, folks. Let's play through the piece one more time as an entire ensemble; and then we can break for the night," said Eriol, inclining his head cheerfully.

"Aww… Come on, Eriol. Don't be so mean." Fai pouted in a manner that would have melted the hearts of thousands of female fans, but it had no effect on the smiling blue-haired boy.

"Get up, Fai," he instructed, "or I won't help you when Kurogane finally loses his temper."

Fai turned to Kurogane with a pleading look. "You won't lose your temper, will you, Kuro-hun?"

"That's it!" roared Kurogane.

Fai squealed as he jumped out of the way of Kurogane's fist. It collided with the floor, but Kurogane was unfazed. Looking murderous, he sprinted after the blonde, who seemed to have no problem somehow slipping out of trouble every time.

While the brown-haired couple watched in shock, Tomoyo looked at Eriol, smiling. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

Eriol smiled back. "Of course."


End file.
